Category Archives: Order in which to study

With regards to the importance of the student of knowledge gaining knowledge in the correct stepwise manner, `Abdus Salaam ibn Burjis (d.1425AH) rahimahullaah comments:

So the first (stage) of knowledge is: memorization of the Book of Allaah, the Majestic and Mighty, and working to gain understanding of it.

And everything that helps in understanding it, then it is is waajib (obligatory) to seek after that.

And I am not saying that memorizing all of it is fard but rather I do say that indeed that is obligatory, binding upon who loves to become an ‘aalim (scholar), but not by way of being fard (on every Muslim).

So whoever memorises it before his reaching maturity, then devotes himself to that which he will use to help him understand it – from the Arabic language, then that will be an enormous help for him in that which he wants from it – and from the sunnahs of the Messenger of Allaah sall Allaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

Then he looks to the abrogating (aayaat) of the Qur-aan and its (aayaat) which are abrogated and its rulings; and he stops at the differing of the scholars and their agreement in that; and it is a matter which is easily understood for the one whom Allaah grants ease in understanding it to.

Then he looks to the Sunnahs which are authentically transmitted from the Messenger of Allaah sall Allaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. So through these, the student arrives at that which Allaah, the Majestic and Mighty, intended in His Book. And these will open up for him the rulings of the Qur-aan.

And in the life of the Messenger of Allaah sall Allaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam there is information which draws attention to many of the abrogating and abrogated issues in the Sunnah.

And the scholars give importance to these brief works, authoring them and exerting themselves in keeping them to shorten them and refine them; then they would encourage their students to memorise them so that they should remain fundamental assets for them and a store of provision for them from which they can derive benefit, and through which they bring benefit to others by means of them.

And beginning with these shorter works is the foundation for the students of knowledge, so the student of knowledge should begin by learning little by little, taking from the initial points of knowledge and its fundamentals and then proceeding in stages through it.

So these brief works are the path leading on to the longer works. So it is not possible for the longer works to be understood exept after the brief works have been understood and then the person has preceded on from them in stages. And therefore they said about the meaning of His saying, He the Most High:

But rather be rabbaaniyyoon (wise scholars who cultivate the people) by your teaching them the Book and your studying it. [Soorah Aale Imraan aayah 79]

The word rabbaaniyyoon – they are those who begin with the small matters of knowledge before the greater ones. They cultivate themselves and their students beginning with the smaller matters and moving onto the larger matters, and this is something natural, because all things begin from their roots and their foundations and then they grow bigger and larger after that.

As for the person who pounces upon knowledge from its top, then this person will just tire himself out and not attain anything. Whereas the one who begins with the fundamentals and proceeds in stages, this is the person who, by the permission of Allaah, will be proceeding in the correct way and with sound direction.

Each of these should take between 2 and 4 months to complete, inshaa Allaah. Each one is slightly different so there is something for everyone. The first two have been written by me (Aalia bint Ehsanullah) and checked by Abu Talhah Dawood. The third has been written by a friend of mine, Umm Umar Najma.

If you wish to study in more depth, these questions and answer sets each take about a year to go through:

These three have been written by Nasser ibn Najam, checked by Abu Talhah Dawood Burbank rahimahullaah and can be used with a full set of audio lectures (over 50 hours each) available on www.ittibaa.com. Finally, the question and answer set below is not the longest, but it needs some background knowledge of tawheed and shirk before even attempting it:

In the “Various Bits & Bobs” section of this website are some shorter items that are quick and easy to go through if all the above are too long. We have some materials that are awaiting completion inshaa Allaah that will be uploaded when ready inshaa Allaah.

People who are new to Islaam are encouraged to begin at an even more basic level than the materials on this website. I have something that may be suitable for them. You can contact me on islamthestudyguides@gmail.com for more information.

What is this blog about?

Nowadays, many of us find it difficult to make time in our busy lives to learn our Religion; yet this is something that is obligatory upon us.

For many years, some sisters in my locality and I have been getting together to study our Religion together. All of us are busy, and most of us are mums with young children. Yet Allaah, the Most High, has enabled us to take benefit from each other in our studies.

People heard about what we were doing, wanted to know how we study and requested our materials. This site was actually set up in response to those requests. So I wanted to share with you some of the resources and strategies that we have used in our studying.

Allaah, the Most High, said: “And cooperate upon righteousness and taqwaa (fearing Allaah and obeying Him)”.

This site will inshaa Allaah provide some basic information that you can work through systematically as an English speaker. A heavy emphasis is laid on the beginners’ books of the scholars of old, with the explanations of scholars of our time.

None of us are native Arabic speakers but we realised that, even with our beginners’ Arabic, we would have to make a start on learning from these vital books of our Religion.

If you are not the sort of person who reads a book and absorbs the main points immediately, then the study guides and Question and Answer downloads on this website will be of particular help inshaa Allaah.

Our purpose is not to teach you - that is the job of the scholars. The purpose of this website is to help each other in learning and revising, just as my friends and I have been doing for some years now.

May Allaah, the Most High, make it easy for all of us to learn and implement our Religion, call others to it and be patient upon any harms that we encounter in doing so – aameen.

“The deeds most beloved to Allaah are those that are consistent even if they be small.” [2]
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